CHICO — Chico’s City Council meeting Tuesday was largely concerned with homelessness and public safety, after a protest of hundreds outside the chambers.

Public comments concerned the meeting from its start until nearly 7:30 p.m. Some called for the council to abandon the needle exchange program on behalf of “increased public welfare.”

Some criticized Mayor Randall Stone.

“You have failed to provide the most basic service — a safe place to live,” Daniel Rodrigues said. “You have called your own council members foolish on Facebook. We demand the immediate resignation of Council members Karl Ory and Randall Stone.”

“My wife and I have called the police over 20 times since July,” Pablo Cooper said.

“I hear ‘Chico isn’t what it used to be, I don’t feel safe here,’” Angela McLaughlin of Safe Space said. “I’m thrilled it isn’t what it used to be.”

McLaughlin added that social media is responsible for “endless fear-mongering” and social perception of the prevalence of crime.

Others felt the conversation had turned to stigmas about homelessness.

“If they didn’t have problems, they wouldn’t have lost their homes in the first place,” Nancy Wirtz said. “These folks need safety before they need anything else. … We have three shelters in town that support maybe half of the people here.”

Although the meeting also considered issues like extreme heat preparedness and inclusionary district zoning, the meeting focused on the Sit and Lie ordinance and needle exchange programs.

Reconsidering Sit and Lie

The council discussed whether to rescind the Sit and Lie ordinance, as requested by Vice Mayor Alex Brown.

“I can understand the discomfort in this room and on everybody’s faces. … I am sorry to see so much conflict around this issue,” Brown said. However, Brown said she could not support the law and called for a data-based approach.

Stone added that the data referenced by the council “lays out the information culled through university research and crime trends over decades, the impacts to Sit and Lie over time and things to consider such as other housing options and the impacts of so many citations.”

There were 44 speakers for the issue.

“I really resist the fact that you’re waving around a document that the public can’t see that you say proves everything,” Rob Berry said. “How can this be evidence-based if you’re wrong on all of the evidence that exists?”

Nichole Nava said that the focus should be on utilizing Butte County’s social services to needle users. However, Chaz Kelley rejected Nava’s comment, saying that seeking social services is an intensive process which can take months.

“These ordinances just target people who don’t have homes and are already struggling just to stay alive,” Kohler said.

However, others called for using the ordinance for changing behavior.

“I think many people forget to separate behavior from the person,” Chris Mayer said.

Lisa Currier said the declined Orange Street Shelter would have helped people shelter all night as another solution — “Quit fighting possible solutions,” Currier said.

“We need to get people off the streets and into programs that can help them, “Jennifer Slinkard said.

“More resources means more folks housed and sheltered,” Marin Hambley said. “Housing is so hard to find in our community right now. We need more shelters, decreasing of barriers and increasing of resources.”

Tom DiGiovanni of the Chico Downtown Business Association said the ordinance is an enforcement tool for police. However, others like Nathaniel Perry resisted this idea, saying police already have the right to initiate conversations with people and to cite individuals for blocking businesses.

Councilor Scott Huber said that after hearing ideas from local businesses for campgrounds, low barrier shelters and more bed availability, he suggested a motion to table rescinding the ordinance for six months to evaluate enforcement. Huber called for policing to include a social worker, available for all hours that the sit and lie ordinance covers.

Councilor Sean Morgan said although he agrees with parts of the proposal, the ordinance should be used for police contact — “it’s not the city’s job to get into the social work business.”

“What’s happened is that we’ve had to take on things that we never could have imagined cities would ever have to take on,” City Manager Mark Orme said.

Councilor Ann Schwab asked Police Chief Michael O’Brien to clarify the ordinance’s use and why there were no citations using it in 2019.

“We’re asked to exercise discretion every single day,” O’Brien said. “We are always looking for compliance and once we get compliance there is no need for citation, typically.”

Brown said she appreciated discussion about including social workers, and recognized Chico police for efforts to respond to homelessness with more care. However, Brown said she could not support the request and moved to rescind the ordinance. This motion failed 3-4.

Ory moved to suspend discussion of the ordinance “until we have 250 beds in our community” and a full-time equivalent social worker.

The second vote on this motion also failed 3-4.

The third motion to allow the ordinance to remain succeeded 4-3. Brown said she then saw it necessary to engage the council in discussing other issues such as restricting storage of personal property in personal spaces. Her motion passed 4-2.

“The main goal is to reduce transmission of HIV and Hepatitis C,” Lindsay Briggs said. “We know one-to-one exchange programs work … the way science works, Mr. Morgan, is that once you prove it, you don’t have to prove it again.”

“We want our safe town back … My 7-year-old has never been to the park.” Kimberly Burke said.

Jacqueline Glover was immediately removed from the chambers for showing a photo of her grandchild on her phone and being disruptive, engaging in a verbal dispute with another member of the audience.

Rain Scher is trained in needle distribution, and said data shows it is effective to reducing drug addiction.

“There are many people who benefit from programs from safe needle distribution,” Scher said.

Gomez also acknowledged Schwab’s suggestion for things to be done better, including increasing locations and range of access to safe disposal. Gomez added that there is no age requirement for utilizing the program.

The final speaker, Jodi Taylor used visual aids to say that the coalition in question had not followed best practices.

Hearing these concerns, the council moved to address Morgan’s motion to ban needles and Councilor Kasey Reynolds’ motion to give a 30-day time period to receive data from the current needle exchange program about current safety concerns such as needle deposits and disposal.

The council moved to receive a report from the needle exchange program in 30 days. The motion passed 5-2.

In a previous version of this story, a speaker was incorrectly identified as “she.”

Natalie Hanson covers the city of Chico, seniors and general assignments for the Chico Enterprise-Record after previously editing and writing for A&E. She has written and edited for multiple publications including The Orion at Chico State and is studying journalism and international relations. She is passionate about student journalism, covering the community and quality coffee.